The Depths of Despair
by WICKEDiscrap
Summary: Phil is being bullied and collapsing under school pressures, constantly wanting to escape to the beach. Because Phil Lester isn't normal - he's able to control water. One day, a new student arrives at his school - Daniel Howell. And maybe Phil isn't the only one with these weird powers... (Phan high school AU) WARNINGS: swearing, self-harm and depression


**Chapter 1: Phil **

Phil trudged his way through the clingy, bitter air and early-spring dew that had collected on the grass in the park. His black lace-up shoes kicked pitifully at a large stone that had positioned itself in the middle of the pathway. Usually the walk to school was something he looked forward to - a break to breathe in the world around him. But today it wasn't: it was the first day back.

There's always something so dreadful about having to return to school after being shown a small portion of freedom. As if the teachers are dangling a Golden Ticket just within your grasp, only to yank it away at the last second. Most of the students will probably spend the first week whining and failing to complete any homework, claiming that they are still in 'post-holiday denial'.

Usually most students wouldn't be minding going back for the first week. Catching up with their friends, slowly easing back into their usual timetable - sounds simple enough, right? But it was the final term of the year, which inevitably meant exams, which equalled homework.

_And not just 'homework', _Phil thought to himself, _but assessments, projects and final pieces. _

The annoyance of reaching the final stage of the year almost made Phil groan lethargically with raw hate. Why couldn't things just go back to the way they were in primary school? Where the final term was filled with watching movies, and barely scraping the surface of the school curriculum. Making Christmas cards out of textas and red and green paper, and spending hours of class time rehearsing carols to sing for end-of-year school concerts. He almost missed the feeling of boredom. Sure, Phil still felt bored, but it was usually because he'd been sitting in an hour long lecture at school, or because he was at home procrastinating or avoiding the ever-increasing list of 'Highly Important, Yet Stunningly Boring Things To Do, That Probably Won't End Up Getting Done'.

A sigh escaped his mouth, breath freezing and dissipating into the air in a wisp of chilled carbon dioxide. Another reason why Phil could tell the day was already on the paths to ending badly, was because Chris was late. Not surprising really, knowing him, but it still meant that Phil had to walk to school by himself.

_And I'll also have to walk _into _school by myself… _A wave of anxiety rushed over him. He hated having to walk into the building by himself - especially on the first day back. Some idiot had decided to put the school canteen right by the entrance to the courtyard which lead to the classrooms, meaning you had to walk past the designated eating area to get to class. The canteen was the school 'hot spot'. Well - the hot spot if you were hot enough to sit there. Every morning that Phil walked through those gates and made the hike across the courtyard, he'd see the group of maybe 20 kids who were classified as 'cool' or 'popular' enough to sit there, chatting away. He'd usually just see them, but sometimes he heard them and those were always the worst days.

_Just don't freak out. They want you to freak out. They want to see you be weak. If you hold your head high and walk right past, they won't notice you. Don't make eye contact, don't walk nervously - just go straight past, _Phil rambled in his mind, trying to distract himself from the inevitable walk through the school gates. _Okay, this is good. You're nearly there. Maybe PJ and Charlie are by their lockers getting their books for biology… See? You're through the gates, and everything's fine. Don't make eye contact. Just a short walk and you're at your locker, and you can get your books and go meet- _

"Hey, you!"

_No, don't look up. Keep going._

"What? Ya think you're too cool to talk to me? Hey-…?" Phil heard the voice turn away for a second as it queried another of it's friends. "What the fuck is his name, anyway?"

Phil heard a mumbled response of his name from someone sitting on one of the canteen tables.

Then the voice started up again, "Phil! Why are you fucking running away? You scared o' me or somethin?" The boy's question elicited a small and unified chuckle from the others sitting around him.

Phil kept his head down and continued walking, making a beeline to his locker. He knew how to deal with bullies, and how talking back to them only made things a hell of a lot worse - especially in Sam's case. Sam had gone to the same primary school as Phil, putting Phil through not only four high school years of teasing and being picked on, but also seven years of primary school. Not that Sam had even bothered to learn the name of the boy he'd been bullying for nearly eleven years.

_I wish I was at the beach… Everything's always better at the beach… _

Sighing audibly, Phil found his way to his locker and almost robotically started rotating the lock. He angrily shoved his bag inside, and started picking through to find the necessary books for the first two periods.

"School isn't _that _bad, you know…"

Phil spun around to see Chris standing behind him with a lopsided grin on his face.

"Hey!" Phil threw back playfully. "I thought you said you couldn't meet me because you were late!"

"Well, I was… I forgot to set my alarm-"

"Typical," Phil interjected, rolling his eyes over-dramatically.

"Oi, shut it," Chris nudged Phil's shoulder. "And then my mum said she was driving past here anyway, so she gave me a lift."

"Whatever - just make sure you remember to set your bloody alarm tomorrow, so I don't have to walk all the way to school by myself."

"Aaaw, you missed me, didn't you?" Chris teased.

"Not one bit. Where're Charlie and Peej?"

"They're already in class. You know how keen they are to spend the next two hours looking at algae and frog spit under a microscope."

Phil laughed as he shut his locker door, clicking the lock shut behind it. "To biology class we go."

* * *

><p><strong>A  N: I'VE NEVER WRITTEN A HIGH SCHOOL AU BEFORE AND THIS IS SO FUN OMG :3 **

**Hope you guys are liking it so far, and I'll see you next Wednesday for another update xx**

**Reviews are awesome :***


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